Illustrative photo. (Source: VNA)HCM City (VNA) – The International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Vietnam Chamberof Commerce and Industry (VCCI)’s HCM City branch on May 14 presented masks andhand sanitiser to companies in the wood and support industries.
Over 26,000masks and 5,400 bottles of hand sanitiser were given to about 50 small- andmedium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
This is thefirst relief effort initiated by the ILO in partnership with the VCCI HCM to enhancethe firms’ resilience during the COVID-19 outbreak, which forms part of the Sustaining Competitive andResponsible Enterprises (SCORE) project.
Safety tops the concerns of firms and workers in thewake of the pandemic, a VCCI survey of more than 700 domestic firms has found. Some 69 percent of the respondentssaid spending on keeping workplaces safe is likely to expand by 10 – 30 percent in the comingtime.
Ordercancellations and lack of cash have made it difficult for SMEs to provide their employees with personalprotective equipment (PPE) and hand sanitiser.
The SCOREproject will do its best to help the enterprises mitigate risks and resumeproduction, said Stephan Ulrich, SCORE Project Manager and Regional Project Coordinatorat the ILO, adding the SMEs’ resilience depends on how they protecttheir workers.
Occupationalhealth and safety are even more important in the face of the COVID-19. In additionto donations of masks and hand sanitiser, the SCORE will continue providing informationon proper preventive measures against the coronavirus to employers and their employeesvia banners, leaflets, video clips and social media, he said.
Onlinetraining courses will also be held to give instructions on how to prevent virustransmission, assess associated risks and restart production, the official added.
The SCORE is apractical training and workplace improvement programme, aiming to increase SMEs’productivity while promoting respect for workers’ rights. It focuses on SMEs in the wooden furniture industryin HCM City, Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Long An and Binh Dinh provinces.
A total of 230companies have so far taken part in the SCORE, benefiting more than 94,000workers./.
